1. Field of the Invention
This invention is a feed and transport system to transport and count items of a tablet form from a common stored area to a product counting sensor head. Two parallel feed and transport rollers align the product before allowing it to exit downwards past a product sensor.
2. Prior Art Statement
Machines currently in use have problems feeding tablets or small parts smoothly, accurately, quickly and in line to a product sensor. Common practice is to vibrate tablets in a vibratory bowl or down “V” shaped vibrating channels by a product sensor. Part of the problem with vibrating the tablets are that the vibration itself could damage the product, thus producing dust that must later be extracted before the product can be packaged. Also, vibration is loud and there is a maximum output product feed rate that any vibrator can produce. Another problem is that on high speed counting machines several vibrating “V” shaped channels are operated by one vibrator, thus making it impossible to control the feed rate of only one “V” shaped channel at a time. For instance, see the Batchmaster® II brochure and/or the Batchmaster® III brochure from Batching Systems Inc., 50 Jibsail Drive, Prince Frederick, Md. 20678.
Rotating centrifugal discs or discs with pockets are also used to align and to feed tablets into a straight row. Tablets are deposited on to a rotating flat surface which rotates and centrifugal force moves the tablets to the outside guide over the disc to align the tablets into a straight row. These types of systems are prone to jamming and could require changing parts to suit different tablet sizes and shapes. For instance, see the RTC 15 and RTC 200 brochures from Romaco US, 104 American Road, Morris Plains, N.J. 07950.
Another common method of feeding tablets is using a horizontal rotating disk. Centrifugal force forces the tablets to an outside guide. Many times there would be two or more rows of tablets together, so special adjustable deflectors are used to separate them toward the most outward row. This type of system could also cause product jamming or damage. For instance, see the brochure on the Pharmafill Model TC4 manufactured by Deitz Co., 1750 Route 34, P.O. Box 1108, Wall, N.J., 07719.
Another method is using a rotating vacuum disc, sucking the tablets to it. These discs are normally shaped to suite different tablet profiles. For instance, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,460 issued on 14 Jan. 2003 to John T. Aylward. A related method and apparatus is a machine with a rotating vacuum drum having holes disposed through one face of the drum wherein a vacuum is supplied to that face which holds tablets against the drum face until dropped by removal of the vacuum. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,341 issued to Pearson, et al., on 14 Feb. 2006.
Yet another method is having moving or rotating pockets designed specifically for each different tablet Profile. This method is expensive, complicated, it takes a lot of time to clean and to change over, and dedicated to tablet size and shape. For instance, see the Pragron CC30 brochure of Pragron Engineering Co., Plot No. 164/B, Door No 1, 1st floor Daudi Road, Off Kalyan Shill Road, Dombivali (E) Thane—400 606—Maharashtra, India.
A method of conveying contamination sensitive product to containers to be filled is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,151 issued to Buckley, et al., on 27 May 2003 wherein a conveyor belt with pockets moulded in to suit each tablet shape and size moves the product toward an end thereof where the product drops into aligned containers. The belt is discarded with each run of product.
All of these common practices are either expensive, noisy, may damage the product, dedicated to given tablet size, and/or each lane is not independently controllable.
It is also known to align product into a given orientation using inclined, spaced apart rolls rotating in the same direction. A typical device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 477,093 issued on 14 Jun. 1892 to Charles K. Wead. The spacing between the rolls is critical in order to allow a narrow portion of the article to drop between the rolls thus aligning the article in the proper orientation.
Another method of aligning product into a given orientation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,886 issued to John Fajt on 6 Mar. 1984 wherein the inclined, spaced apart tapered rolls are counter rotating. Parts are deposited adjacent the large end of the rolls and the parts assume a particular orientation by action of the rolls and incline. The parts are moved to the small end of the rolls and accumulated thereat by spring wires.
It is further known to provide a seed planter with counter rotating rolls disposed below a seed hopper wherein the rolls transport seed to a drop point. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,798 issued on 21 Oct. 1975 to Steve R. Allen or the U.S. Pat. No. 1,604,133 issued on 26 Oct. 1926 to Eugene Rebechini The rolls of these devices have grooves disposed into the surface thereof which is detrimental to formed tablets of the pharmaceutical industry. Grooved rolls tend to chip, fracture and abrade these formed tablets. Therefore, it is of great importance to provide a sort and transport roller with a smooth surface and/or a superimposed thread to reduce the incidence of breakage or dusting.
Finally, it is known to introduce pharmaceutical products into blister packs with an apparatus that has counter rotating rolls of a particular configuration in order to allow the product to drop between the rolls into wells of the blister pack. For instance, see the U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,304 B2 issued on 15 Jan. 2008 to Hiddink, et al.
All of these rotating roll devices rely upon precise configuration of the rolls and critical spacing in order to perform the particular task. In order to perform a similar task on a different product, either the spacing must be changed, the rolls reconfigured to accommodate the new product or both.